Abilene volunteers step in to help out at Thanksgiving

Hannah Cunningham pulls a pie out of the display case for a customer at McKay’s Bakery on Wednesday. Cunningham said the bakery baked some 2,000 holiday pies.

Josh Allen moves a pan of smoked turkeys in the walk-in freezer at Joe Allen’s restaurant on Wednesday. The restaurant received orders for 100 smoked turkeys and 50 hams for Thanksgiving and kept its smokers working around the clock for several days.

Greg Kendall-Ball/Reporter-News
Place mats made by Jackson Elementary School students decorate tables for today’s Thanksgiving dinner sponsored by the Taylor County Veterans Service Office at the Abilene Civic Center.

Greg Kendall-Ball/Reporter-News
Hannah Cunningham boxes up pies for Tommy King and his grandson Dean Mulkey at McKay’s Bakery on Wednesday.

Greg Kendall-Ball/Reporter-News
Josh Allen checks the progress of the turkeys and hams in his smoker on Wednesday at Joe Allen’s Pit Bar-B-Que. The restaurant received orders for more than 150 smoked meats for Thanksgiving.

Greg Kendall-Ball/Reporter-News
Miriam Cerda prepares tamales at La Popular on Wednesday. Even though tamales are more often associated with the Christmas holiday, bakery manager Maria Gutierrez says they are becoming popular at Thanksgiving, too. Orders for more than 100 dozen tamales had been taken through Wednesday.

Greg Kendall-Ball/Reporter-News
Brian Defoor carves a smoked ham on Wednesday in preparation for today’s Veterans Service Office Thanksgiving dinner. Organizers say they typically serve up to 1,200 people at the annual dinner.

Greg Kendall-Ball/Reporter-News
Miriam Cerda prepares tamales at La Popular on Wednesday. Even though tamales are more often associated with the Christmas holiday, bakery manager Maria Gutierrez says they are becoming popular at Thanksgiving, too. Orders for more than 100 dozen tamales had been taken through Wednesday.

Greg Kendall-Ball/Reporter-News
Hannah Cunningham pulls a pie out of the display case for a customer at McKay’s Bakery on Wednesday. Cunningham said the bakery baked more than 2,000 pies to cope with the increase in orders for Thanksgiving.

Greg Kendall-Ball/Reporter-News
Josh Allen moves a pan of smoked turkeys in the walk-in freezer at Joe Allen’s Pit Bar-B-Que on Wednesday. The restaurant received orders for 100 smoked turkeys and 50 hams for Thanksgiving, and kept its smokers working around the clock for several days.

Thanksgiving may be considered a holiday, break, small vacation or much-needed time off for many in the 9-to-5 world, but it means more work for those behind the scenes in preparation of the traditional day of thanks.

More than 200 volunteers will help the Taylor County Veterans Service Office put on its annual Thanksgiving meal at the Abilene Civic Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today.

And many have put in long days in the week leading up to the free meal, which is expected to feed more than 1,000.

"We'll be burning up some can openers in the morning," said Jimmy Defoor, director of veterans services for Taylor County.

Cunningham said more than 2,000 pies have been sold to pre-orders and walk-ins over the past two weeks. Those cooking the pies have logged some long hours.

"From 10 p.m. last night through the night and into today," she said.

It's not all turkeys, hams and pies, either.

La Popular Bakery has prepared 100 dozen tamale orders for today.

"We've had orders from Sweetwater and the Metroplex," manager Maria Gutierrez said.

For the past week, Josh Allen has been cooking for those who want nice, slow-cooked smoked hams or turkeys.

Allen, manager of Joe Allen's Pit Bar-B-Que on South 11th, said the restaurant has been smoking meats for the holidays almost as long as it's been open. The staff has been doing this for at least 25 years now, and it seems to be getting more popular each year, he said.

Initially, the eatery mostly did special orders, in which people would bring in their own meat for smoking. Now the restaurant does it all and also sells sides like stuffing and giblet gravy.

Allen said the restaurant has cooked 100 turkeys and 50 hams this year.

Another large meal is scheduled from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Abilene Salvation Army.

"We have cooked 30 turkeys, and the dressing is done," said Maj. James Parrish. "It's ready to be put in the oven tomorrow morning, along with the other things that come with it."

Last year the Salvation Army's annual meal served more than 300 people with about 60 volunteers, he said.

"I want the folks in our community who are not as fortunate to be sharing turkey and dressing along with me," Parrish said.